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Brian Murtagh Papers

An inventory of his papers at the Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives at Syracuse University

Finding aid created by: Vanessa L. St.Oegger-Menn
Date: February 2015

Revision history:
June 2015	Photographs series added, general updates to extent and date ranges (VSOM)
Nov 2015	Memorabilia series added, general updates to extent and date ranges (VSOM)
Jun 2016	New Accessions integrated, Scope and Content and extent updated (VSOM)
Oct 2021	Stylistic changes (EMB)
June 2024	Collection rehoused, inventory updated (VSOM)

Biography

Brian Murtagh was a United States Department of Justice attorney who assisted in drafting the 1991 indictments for Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi and Lamen Khalifa Fhimah in connection to the December 21, 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Murtagh was present, with the prosecution, for the trial that took place at Kamp van Zeist in the Netherlands from 2000-2001. Murtagh retired from the Department of Justice in 2011.

Scope and Content Note

The Brian Murtagh Papers consists of correspondence, photographs, speeches, presentations, and other materials collected and created by Brian Murtagh. The collection is divided into the following series:

Correspondence consists primarily of letters sent to Murtagh upon his retirement from the Department of Justice in 2011 by various family members of victims of the bombing of Pan Am 103, members of the Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, Inc. group, and former colleagues.

Memorabilia contains various identification cards issued to Murtagh, as well as a business card for Edwin Bollier of Mebo Ltd. Telecommunication. The timer used in the bomb that destroyed Pan Am 103 was traced to the Mebo company.

Printed material consists of a copy of the December 9, 2012 cover of Washington Post Magazine featuring Murtagh.

Photographs contains photographs taken by Murtagh during a 2015 trip to Lockerbie and Dumfries. Pictured are former members of the Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary, and images of various memorials in the Lockerbie Remembrance Garden. Also included in this series are photographs from Murtagh's retirement celebration, and several photographs from Kamp van Zeist during the trial.

Speeches and presentations includes the text of Murtagh's remarks delivered at the 2014 memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery, and the presentation "Pan Am 103: From Lockerbie to Kamp van Zeist" that Murtagh delivered to the Syracuse University Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars in October of 2015.

Alternative Formats

Selected items from this collection are also available as digital files. Please contact the archivist for further information on accessing the materials.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from the Pan Am Flight 103 Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

The Pan Am Flight 103 Archives contains additional materials and information related to the Brian Murtagh Papers. Related collections include:

Pan Am Flight 103 Publications Collection

Police Scotland Collection

Tom Gordon Papers

Tom McCulloch Papers

Selected Search Terms

Names

Murtagh, Brian.
Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.

Subjects

Pan Am Flight 103 Bombing Incident, 1988.
Terrorism -- Government Policy -- United States -- Case Studies.
Terrorism -- Government Policy -- United States -- History.
Terrorism -- Government Policy -- United States.
Terrorism -- History -- 20th Century.
Lockerbie (Scotland)
Zeist (Netherlands)

Types of Material

Correspondence.
Photographs.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Brian Murtagh Papers,
Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Brian Murtagh in 2012 and 2015. Dumfries and Lockerbie photographs in the Photographs series were deposited digitally in 2015.

Processing Information

Materials were placed in acid free folders and boxes.

Arrangement

Materials are arranged alphabetically.

Table of Contents

Correspondence

Memorabilia

Photographs

Printed material

Speeches and presentations

Inventory

	Photographs
Box 1		Brian Murtagh's retirement celebration 2011
Box 1		Dumfries and Lockerbie 2015  Easterbrook Hall - Site of Lockerbie Fatal Accident Inquiry  Easterbrook Hall auditorium - Site of Lockerbie Fatal Accident Inquiry  Photograph of former Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary officers. L to R: Mike Leslie; Mickey Dalgleish; Brian Murtagh; Tom McCulloch; Tom Gordon.  Photograph of Tom Gordon and Brian Murtagh.  Photograph of Brian Murtagh and wife at Remembrance Garden in Lockerbie, Scotland.  Photograph of Brian Murtagh and Tom McCulloch at Remembrance Garden in Lockerbie, Scotland.  Photograph of Brian Murtagh at Remembrance Garden in Lockerbie, Scotland.  Photograph of Brian Murtagh in front of wall with memorial plaques at Remembrance Garden in Lockerbie, Scotland.  Photograph of Brian Murtagh in front of memorial to Pan Am 103 victims. Remembrance Garden, Lockerbie, Scotland.  Photograph of Brian Murtagh with hand on engraved names of Pan Am 103 victims. Remembrance Garden, Lockerbie, Scotland.
Box 1		Kamp van Zeist 2000-2001